Mandela: My Hero
A few weeks ago, I spoke to a Personal Finance class at Marian University in
Indianapolis, taught by Professor R. Kubacki, who used The Roadside Scholar as part of
the class curriculum. The students were awesome --- engaged, interested in the subject
matter and full of excellent questions.
We started in front of a wall decoration with a quote from Nelson Mandela. It could
not have been a more perfect setting. I revealed to the class that Nelson Mandela was my
hero because he not only survived 27 years of incarceration, but also made a huge positive
difference in the world after release.
I told them how I did several things when in prison to honor Mandela. In the jump
rope class I led twice weekly, we would perform sets of 27 – one repetition for each year of
his sentence. For years, I used a copy of his favorite poem, Invictus by William E. Henley,
as my book mark. (I made the mistake of telling them that I had committed it to memory.
Embarrassingly, I got stage fright and choked when asked to recite aloud.)
One of my goals is to honor Mandela’s memory by contributing something positive to
my community now that I am home. As a result, the Mandela quote on the wall --
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – was
perfect.
The mission of The Roadside Scholar is education – financial education. Since
everyone must participate in the financial system, it is only fair that everyone be taught how
to succeed. Unfortunately, this has not been happening in the majority of school systems.
Additionally, due to the demise of company-sponsored pension plans and rising economic
inequality, it is urgent that working Americans learn something about managing money.
My ultimate goal is to make it clear that anyone in America can achieve financial
freedom regardless of age, gender, race, religion or education. All it takes is commitment
to the process described in The Roadside Scholar. The only fatal mistake is sitting on the
sidelines. To quote one of my students, “Don’t Waste Time. It’s a Crime.”
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For more information and easy to understand explanations of important money
matters go to www.theroadsidescholar.com or purchase The Roadside Scholar: Amazing
Money Lessons from Behind the Fence.